Vanilla Sky/Abre los ojos (Open Your Eyes) - which to see first...

I'm really intrigued by the trailer for Vanilla Sky. I've always enjoyed Cameron Crowe and I'm excited to see what he can do when he's pushing himself visually and with a genre-bending plotline. I know its based on the film Abre los ojos (Open Your Eyes) from 1997. The question I'm aksing myself now is - "Do I track down a copy of Abre los ojos, or wait for Vanilla Sky and not ruin the plot and suprises that the film looks like it holds?"
I'd be interested in anyone's opinions on my dilema, esp. if you have seen the original.
-Peter[Edited last by Peter Ohlert on October 10, 2001 at 01:30 PM]

Heh, it's funny you should say "ruin the twists" since Open Your Eyes and Vanilla Sky are nearly identical movies.
The choice is simple: two movies are exactly alike.. would you rather see the English speaking version with Tom Cruise or the original Spanish subtitled version? Open Your Eyes is a fantastic movie and I personally would see it first.
Penelope Cruz is topless in Open Your Eyes also.. she might not be in Vanilla Sky.. another potential reason?
Seriously, Vanilla Sky will be a good movie, no doubt, since it's an exact replica of a great movie.
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I'm having the same decision problem. Except I actually bought the Open Your Eyes DVD with full intent on watching it first. I have yet to watch it and the closer Vanilla Sky gets the harder it makes my decision. I really feel like I should watch the original version first, but I think it would ruin every surprise that Vanilla Sky has. And I feel like I'm going to like Vanilla Sky more because it's directed by Cameron Crowe.
I don't know what to do!
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The other thing that gets me is watching Abre los ojos at home on DVD first (since I have an OK but by no means phenominal HT setup) or waiting and getting to be exposed to Vanillia Sky first in a really good theater.
grrr. arrgh. so indecisive.
btw: how is the DVD? how is the transfer/audio? any good extras or bare bones?
-Peter[Edited last by Peter Ohlert on October 10, 2001 at 02:31 PM]

I think if you haven't seen Open Your Eyes at this point you probably would appreciate Vanilla Sky more by waiting to watch the original. That's not to knock it or anything. I bought it sight unseen based on the word of mouth around the film and enjoyed it very much. In a way, even knowing there is a twist is a shame because it probably would have made the movie - either one - that much better. I can definitely recommend picking Open Your Eyes up for your collection and seeing Vanilla Sky when it is released. The quality of the dvd was pretty good IMO. The video was very clear and the sound was good as well.
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"Wait a minute. Was she a great big fat person?"My DVD Collection

Oh really? What's different about Vanilla Sky? You're saying it has a different twist than Open Your Eyes right? Sorry, my Spanish is very poor! And my name is Gonzales!
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He thought on homeland, the big timber, the air thin and chill all the year long. Tulip poplars so big through the trunk they put you in mind of locomotives set on end. He thought of getting home and building him a cabin on Cold Mountain so high that not a soul but the nighthawks passing across the clouds in autumn could hear his sad cry. Of living a life so quiet he would not need ears. And if Ada would go with him, there might be the hope, so far off in the distance he did not even really see it, that in time his despair might be honed off to a point so fine and thin that it would be nearly the same as vanishing.
-- Charles Frazier, Cold Mountain

Ay caramba!
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He thought on homeland, the big timber, the air thin and chill all the year long. Tulip poplars so big through the trunk they put you in mind of locomotives set on end. He thought of getting home and building him a cabin on Cold Mountain so high that not a soul but the nighthawks passing across the clouds in autumn could hear his sad cry. Of living a life so quiet he would not need ears. And if Ada would go with him, there might be the hope, so far off in the distance he did not even really see it, that in time his despair might be honed off to a point so fine and thin that it would be nearly the same as vanishing.
-- Charles Frazier, Cold Mountain

Well, after seeing this trailer numerous of times, I really think this is going to be a great movie.
I have never seen Open Your Eyes, but I WILL BE buying it tomorrow at Best Buy, they have it for $15.99.
I don't think I'm going to have the ending ruined for me, because if I end up loving Open your Eyes and end up liking Vanilla Sky it should make it that much better.
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Not having seen Vanilla Sky ( duh! ), it might be difficult to decide. Personally, I believe that original works generally tend to be superior so I'd recommend Abre los ojos. I viewed the film this weekend and really enjoyed the experience. It is a solid, well made thriller that really plays with your mind ( in a good way ). ( As someone else suggested; somehow I fear that the Hollywood version will be 'pumped up / dumbed down', but I hope that I'm wrong since Cameron Crowe is directing. )
Regarding the DVD, the transfer is pretty good. There is some pixelation in a few scenes, and it doesn't have the clarity or smoothness of the very best transfers, but overall it is very watchable. The transfer is 16x9 enhanced. I wouldn't have any problems recommending the film or transfer. Extras are pretty scant on the disc.
- Walter.Nevermind about my question, the IMDB has the answer.[Edited last by Walter Kittel on November 12, 2001 at 02:48 PM]

Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them.

(Back to English) Here are some interesting parts of an LA Times' article with Cameron Crowe:
"'A lot of people will remake a film and then scurry to find a way to sound like they didn't,' said Crowe, who is putting the finishing touches on the Dec. 14 release from Paramount Pictures. 'I say, let's honor this film in remaking it, but by using new elements, with the idea that you could watch both and have fun with the larger questions.'"
"Casting about for a metaphor, the onetime rock critic hit on one: 'This is like a song our band can play. Somebody else wrote it and now we're playing their song, with the elements that our band brings to it. It's our interpretation. I'm not tampering with the original, as much as I'm doing a cover version that honors the work.'"
"'What I'd like is a dialogue between the two movies,' Crowe said. 'Let's do the movie and, maybe, people will talk about the original as well. When people say, 'I didn't see the first one,' I say they should go see it. It's part of the whole game of the movie. It's a modern fable and there are many ways of telling it.'"http://www.calendarlive.com/top/1,14...-46385,00.html
~T